Vibrio Infections

Vibrio
infection (Vibriosis)

Several Vibrio species are known to cause vibriosis in
humansandcan be found
naturally in the coastal sea waters of the United States and Canada. The
bacteria are halophilic, meaning they require salt to survive and can be found
in higher concentrations in the warmer months of the year. Vibrio species can cause gastrointestinal illness
in humans and people can become infected by eating raw or undercooked
shellfish, particularly oysters. Vibrio species can also cause an infection of the
skin when an open wound is exposed to warm seawater.

In
Texas, all species of Vibrio except
toxigenic Vibrio cholerae O1 or O139 (Cholera)
are classified for reporting purposes as general Vibriosis illnesses and
subclassified into the following: Vibrio parahaemolyticus, Vibrio vulnificus,
and Vibriosis, other or unspecified. Click on the links below for more
information.